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Re: Joint Review of Bakuman 176: Dreams and Reality. 10 Years Later

The general three problems people seem to have with this chapter are: timing, wedding, and absence of Tagaki. So I was thinking I could set it up as a pick more than one choice poll.

Do you feel the absence of:

1. Tagaki was a crucial mistake, as he was a leading character?
2. Tagaki allowed Azuki and Mashiro to have a vital romantic moment?
3. the wedding was a crucial mistake, because the manga has always lead towards their marriage?
4. the wedding was not a big deal, because we know it will happen anyway, and weddings are boring?
5. The manga ended too soon, ONE MORE CHAPTER!
6. The manga ended at an acceptable timing?
7. The manga ended at a perfect time?

Re: Joint Review of Bakuman 176: Dreams and Reality. 10 Years Later

First we see the color page, and while it’s not quite the wedding scene we have been anticipating, it is beautiful depiction of their future wedding to come.

The next page brings us into the final chapter; but with Mashiro driving a Ferrari? Many of us were surely shocked to see this out-of-character activity, from our down-to-earth frugal protagonist. But it is later revealed that he is indeed driving the Ferrari, not for his own sake, but to accomplish his deceased uncle’s, Nobuhiro’s dream, which is rather ironic. I’ll take this moment to remind you that Mashiro’s dreams cannot exist without Nobuhiro’s failure; had he truly helped Nobuhiro achieve his dreams, then this beautiful love story would not have, and could not have come to pass. To be honest, if I were Nobuhiro, I would oppose Mashiro and Azuki’s marriage, because I would desire to marry Azuki’s mom; and by doing so, the unfortunate consequence would be that Azuki would not have born in the first place. So in fact, Mashiro’s success can’t be anything close to accomplishing Nobuhiro’s dreams, but rather crushing them with his own. It’s a good thing Nobuhiro is not alive after all, or this story would have taken a far more complex and dark turn. But none-the-less, that Mashiro thinks his actions would please his uncle, is truly Mashiro like, and our worries are put to rest.

We see Mashiro’s trusty love handbook, and I have to admit, I’m a bit astonished that he relies so heavily on its contents; trusting his future on the advice of a man who failed to obtain his love. On the other hand, once again we see how close Mashiro is to Nobuhiro, as they both attest to the happiest moments of their lives spent in the company of the one they love. So there you have it; it seems the only difference between these two, is that Mashiro took the initiative to propose; which, sadly, is only another lesson learned from his uncle’s failure.

In the next scene the anime airs and Azuki cries happily as her dream comes true with ‘I hope you’ll solve the equation of love too someday,’ which somehow seems like a message Mashiro aimed at himself, given the timing and the fact that Azuki’s happiness, is due to the fact that unlike the ending in Reversi, Mashiro did solve the love equation. Or in other words, took the right path unlike his unfortunate uncle.

Azuki, having missed all the years of teenage anxiety that comes with dating, understandably panics before meeting Mashiro outside. She then stops in shock before the Furrari, and the worry that he may have changed, is clear on her face as she shyly informs him, “But it kinda doesn’t suit you…” One again reminding me of the line, “you’ve changed Satoru” from Reversi, perhaps reflecting Mashiro’s fear that when he and Azuki finally get together, they would be too different and the relationship would fall apart. But after a beautiful number of flashbacks and their cute conversation about sitting together, Mashiro explains that he bought the car to achieve his uncle’s dream, and Azuki is relieved to find him the same Mashiro she fell in love with. This course of events also serves to establish romance between the two, and for once we readers are paid for our dedication to Bakuman.

Finally this chapter and Bakuman as a whole, comes to a close, with the same proposal we saw in chapter one, bringing us full circle through the use of parallel structure. Mashiro repeating the first words they spoke to each other, the first promise they made, the words that have controlled their whole life up to this point, and words that have been the summery of their relationship; manages perfect words to propose to her, and an extremely romantic one at that. I couldn’t help but to feel emotional as a reader, especially with the amazing art, doubling Azuki to her past self. She responds to his proposal with their first kiss, a kiss that is only the start, of their endless kisses to come. “From now on, we can always be by each other’s side.”